Dangerous Love
by Atalae
Summary: The love of a dragon is a dangerous thing.
1. Chihiro

Chihiro left Haku on the grassy hills. She ran down to her parents, to the life awaiting her. She didn't look back. The unexplainable days missing from her memories slowly faded in importance, carried away by the concerns of everyday life. Though Chihiro remembered nothing from her journey, the effects of her stay in the spirit world were obvious. She seemed to mature overnight. Her parents were at first greatly concerned by her behavior, wondering if the move had truly been too much for her. She cleaned, she cooked, she did well in school, and she never complained. Eventually they chocked it up to their superior parenting skills and decided that something they said had finally gotten through to her. She had developed some strange quirks, though, such as constantly wearing a shiny purple hair tie (but having no memory of getting it), having a particular fondness for soot, and being completely opposed to eating pork.

Chihiro was, for the most part, oblivious of her own changes. She made many friends in school because of her kind and caring nature, but she always struggled with letting anyone get too close. By day she was at peace, relatively content, but when she slept, they would come: the nightmares. They plagued her almost nightly, always filled with the same hopeless terror. Sometimes she would fade from her classroom, or her house, just disappearing until nothing remained, her cries for help unanswered by those around her. Sometimes she was surrounded by a cloud of paper birds, ready to slice her apart with a million paper cuts. She was drowning, she was falling, she was running from shadowy forms all around her. Always she would wake right before she disappeared, or hit the ground, or took the first cut, always breathless from the terror. Her parents tried to comfort her, but eventually they became used to her cries of distress as she slept. So life continued for Chihiro. She grew, she matured, and she lived, but she somehow felt incomplete.


	2. Haku

Haku watched Chihiro run down the hill and across the waving grass. He willed her to keep going, to not look back. He so wanted her to be happy. But when she disappeared from his sight, he lost it. He sank to the ground, berating himself. He had found the most valuable treasure he could ever possessed, and he was letting it skip out of his life. He was even pushing it to go! The dragon in him cried out at the loss. However, he was not completely heartbroken. Before she left, Haku had done what he could to bind her spirit to himself. He had saved her life, he had helped her, he had won her pure and child-like love, but that was not enough. Haku cannot be blamed, though. It is simply the nature of the dragon to keep its treasure, and Chihiro was all the treasure Haku ever wanted.

As Chihiro opened her heart completely and trustingly to Haku, he had taken a part of what was so freely offered. He kept a piece of Chihiro's essence, her spirit, and now as she left him for the life she was meant to have, he could not bring himself to give it back. The love of a dragon is a dangerous thing: such devotion comes at a price. He cursed himself for his weakness, for his selfishness. He knew that he should allow her to be complete and happy, to live life without him as it was intended, but he simply could not will himself to let go. He straightened, and turned to the bathhouse. He would win his name, his freedom, and then he would find her, and give her back what he had taken. But for now, he would glean what comfort he could from this tiny piece of the one person he had ever loved.


	3. Time

Time moved on as it always does, indifferent to the struggles of those caught in its tides. Chihiro was now eighteen. She breezed through school and was looking at college, but nothing seemed to catch her eye. She was an enigma. She worked hard, not because of any interest in the activity, but rather it seemed that she just enjoyed the effort. Her family was happy that she was so well-behaved, but worried at the distance she maintained in relationships. Her parents even allowed her to move into her own apartment, reasoning that the extra freedom might do her some good. But Chihiro, responsible to a fault, lived in her apartment just as if she was still at home. She was a mystery to her friends, always willing to listen, but never offering anything about herself. To the many teenage boys who wished she would look their way, she was kind and sincere, but simply not interested.

Her nightmares continued unabated. She wished that just once, there would be an ending, some sort of closure to the horrible events in her mind. She wished she would hit the ground already. Then maybe they would stop. But it never came.

She had many decisions to make about her future, but she just could not bring herself to care. It was almost as if she was being pulled from her own life. Here she was, standing at a crossroads, and she was content to sit and rest, not even peeking down the dividing paths.


	4. The Council

For Haku, the years spent away from Chihiro were torture. He had his name, his identity, but he was still under contract with Yubaba. While he quit as her apprentice, he still had to work for her, and she kept him on quite a tight leash. The term of his contract was unbearable. Chihiro would be long dead before he would be able to go to her. He was so desperate that he decided to call upon the Council of Spirits. It took years for him to find the right time to leave, so that Yubaba would not follow. After much careful planning and a beautifully executed escape plan, Haku stood before the Council of Spirits and beseeched them to help him.

He stood on a raised platform surrounded by thirteen seats. In each seat was a revered and wise spirit, trusted with mediating the issues of the spirit world. Haku explained his wish to be free of his contract, saying that since he recovered his identity from Yubaba, he felt a need to see where his river once was, and if there was any way he could revive it. Since this was true, even if only partly, Haku thought that he would be able to convince them to help. Of course, one does not become a member of the Council of Spirits by being gullible. The Master Councilman, a large, imposing looking man with a long beard, cut Haku's feeble explanation short.

"Kohaku," the Master Councilman's voice boomed, "if you do not deem your cause worthy enough to state it fully and completely, here and now, you are hereby ordered to return to your post and serve your term to completion."

Haku stood in silence for a moment, then hung his head. He knew how his plea would be received, but he had to try.

"Honored members of the Council," he began, "I come before you today to beg my freedom. I do wish to see my river, and to revive what I can of it, but that is not all. There is something else, something I long for more than I had longed to remember my own name."

The Council members, who had grown familiar with Haku during his time as Yubaba's henchman, were shocked to hear him speak so candidly and sincerely. This Haku was not the same distant and cold Haku they dealt with in the past.

"I feel as if my very existence depends on this one…thing. This person. This human."

The Council gasped. It was unheard of for a spirit to put such power into the hands of a human.

"What reason do you have to long so for a mere human?" a council member asked.

"In truth, I do not know. I can't explain it to myself, much less to you. All I know is that I am truly incomplete without her."

A councilwoman with a rather nasally voice spoke up: "Please forgive my assumption, but would I be correct to infer that you, somehow, _love_ this human?"

The Council broke into indignant whispers.

"Order," the Master Councilman said, "let us not jump to any conclusions. Kohaku, the humans can sometimes exhibit interesting qualities that will draw you to them for a time, but they are still _humans_. Certainly this human could not have such power over you?"

Haku whispered his reply as his proud posture began to fall. "She could not indeed, if I did not care for her so. If I did not love her."

The Council dissolved into chaos. Haku stood with his head bowed as he was laughed at by those who doubted his story, and berated by those who believed. The Council was finally called to order.

"Kohaku," the Master Councilman began, "I do not see how this is possible. How would you have even come into contact with a human at all?"

A smile played at the edges of Haku's mouth. "Well, sir, there is a bit of a tale to it."


	5. The Decision

Haku related the story of Chihiro to the Council just as it had happened. He told them about how she stumbled into the spirit world, how she bravely faced the unknown for a chance to save her parents. He recounted how she stood up to Yubaba, how she helped an ancient water spirit, and how she saved his life. The Council was rather stunned to hear that a human did so much. When he told them of how she revealed his name, the normally staid council members reacted audibly. His story drew to a close, his eyes looking slightly liquid as he described Chihiro leaving him to return to the human world. The Council was silent.

After a time, the Master Councilman shook his head with amazement. "Well, that is quite a story," he said. "But to act on something as radical as this, we would need some type of proof."

"Maybe we can send for the girl and see if she confirms his story" one of them suggested.

"Or perhaps we can send Haku to her to get a token of her love," said another.

Haku was daring to hope that he might get to see Chihiro after all, when a rather unwelcome voice shrieked into the council chambers.

"HOLD! You will not debate the future of MY servant!"

Haku turned slowly toward the voice, his eyes defiant.

Yubaba hovered to the center of the Council. Her wrinkled face was twisted in a grimace of disgust.

"He is under contract." She produced a piece of paper. "See here, signed in his own hand. And I do not recall 'falling in love with a human' to be a clause for early termination!" She slammed the contract down on the Master Councilman's podium.

The Master Councilman raised an eyebrow, but Yubaba was well known for such outbursts. He examined the contract slowly, as Yubaba sent gloating glances at the stoic Haku.

"You didn't really think you could escape so easily, did you?" she whispered to him smugly.

The Master Councilman spoke: "I am sorry, Haku, but it seems that even if the Council wanted to help you, we could not breach this contract. It is airtight."


	6. Intervention

Haku's eyes slid closed. The weight of his sorrow crashed down on him. But before he could truly give in to despair, Yubaba's voice spoke up again.

"Now wait just a minute. The whole story has yet to be revealed."

Beside him, Yubaba gasped and spun to look behind him. Haku, realizing that it was not Yubaba who spoke, had no need to turn. He knew who it was.

"Zeniba!" Yubaba screeched. Zeniba stood a little ways behind, and though she looked exactly like Yubaba, she still managed to emanate a grandmotherly aura, whereas Yubaba seemed more like a harpy.

"Now, now, no need to get caught up in our little family reunion, Yubaba. I came with vital information about this case," said Zeniba with a slightly smug tone.

Yubaba was just starting to spout smoke and flames when the Master Councilman interrupted.

"We would appreciate hearing your information, Madame Zeniba."

She took a step forward.

"This is not just about the true, albeit strange, love between this spirit and a human girl. This is about the balance of our world."

The Council leaned forward as one. Zeniba would not speak such words in jest, and they all knew it.

"Zeniba, what on earth are you saying?" Yubaba asked, exasperated.

"Haku, did you tell them what you did as Chihiro left our world?" asked Zeniba.

Haku's carefully composed expression began to wither. "I did nothing."

"Haku…"

He looked at the ground and remained silent, though his cheeks mantled slightly.

"He took a piece of her spirit," Zeniba said evenly.

The Council sat in shocked silence, but it did not last long.

"You did WHAT!" shouted Yubaba.

The Council once again dissolved into shouts and arguments. Haku's eyes met Zeniba's, and he could have sworn she was trying not to smile.

"ORDER!" The Master Councilman yelled. He glared at Haku. "Is this true?"

Haku ran through a list of explanations in his head, but all he could say was "It is."

The Master Councilman turned a surprising shade of red. "You would endanger our world so that you could keep your…your… SOUVENEER?!?!"

Haku looked at him questioningly. "What do you mean?"

"He means that you have upset the balance of our worlds," said Zeniba, rather calmly. "The human world and the spirit world have always existed together, but no one can exist in both. By taking Chihiro's spirit, you have caused her to be in both worlds at once. Her spirit longs to be complete, and draws together. This can only result in our worlds being pulled together as well. When the tension is great enough between the piece of her spirit you have and the rest that she still possesses, it will cause our worlds to overlap, and the chaos ensuing would be tremendous."

Haku, stunned, looked at Zeniba. "What can be done?"

Zeniba smiled just a bit. "You must go to the human world and give Chihiro back what you took."

The Master Councilman nodded. "He must be accompanied, so that we may be assured that the task will be completed."

"Don't look at me" Yubaba sniffed. "I do have a bathhouse to run, you know."

The Master Councilman, who had no intension of asked her anyway, simply nodded his head. He glanced at Zeniba.

"I will go," Zeniba volunteered. Haku eyed her suspiciously.

"Very well. Go then, and do not allow Haku to return until he has fixed his rather serious mistake. In the meantime, we will review this case for a possible solution," the Master Councilman ordered.

Haku, his face a mask of intense calm, bowed stiffly from the waist, turned on his heel, and strode out with Zeniba trailing behind.


	7. Sacrifice

Zeniba watched Haku's back as he walked on, never acknowledging her presence. She chuckled to herself, causing Haku to turn partially, but he caught himself and kept walking. He was furious. Even if the Council had gone along with Yubaba, he still would have had a piece of Chihiro. It wasn't enough to make him happy, but it was enough to keep him from going insane. Now he would lose even that comfort.

"Do you even know where you are going?" Zeniba's voice intruded on his thoughts.

He stopped but did not turn.

"Haku, it was wrong of you to take that from Chihiro and you know it. But know that once you have set everything right, I believe things will work out."

Haku stood still as stone. He still did not acknowledge Zeniba.

"Fine, then, I suppose you will just have to wait and see," she concluded. "Just to let you know, I don't believe I will be up for _walking_ all the way to the human world, so how about we speed things up a bit."

Zeniba lightly tapped Haku on the shoulder. Suddenly, they were in the human world. The piece of Chihiro's spirit began to sing within him. He knew she was near.

"There now, much better," sighed Zeniba.

They were standing on a crowded street. It was raining, and everyone passing cast a wary glance at the unusual couple standing there getting drenched. Suddenly, Haku's head snapped up. There she was, walking toward them, umbrella in hand. She had changed so much. Her hair was much longer, but still pulled back by her purple hair tie. She was taller, but still comparatively short. As she approached, she glanced down at his face. Haku's heart leapt into his throat. He put all the love that he had been unable to express for the last eight years into his stare. He waited, he hoped. She smiled slightly, but continued past, no spark of recognition in her eyes, no touch of emotion whatsoever, except perhaps curiosity over his strange appearance. Haku turned to watch her walk by. He could feel his resolve give way. It was obvious that she could not love him. How could she? She did not even know him. What right had he to hold on to her spirit? Haku glanced at Zeniba, who gave him a sad smile. He steeled himself and cast out his hand toward the retreating form of Chihiro. The piece of her spirit soared up, then plummeted down towards her.

Chihiro had an odd feeling, and looked up just in time to see a strange light heading straight towards her. She had no time to react. When the warm light hit her, and her spirit was whole again, she fainted in the street.

Haku faltered as he saw her fall. Even if she no longer loved him, he could not just leave her like that. He ran to her side and swept up her body as if carrying a child, which was quite a sight since he was still in a child's body himself. Zeniba followed, and suggested they take her to her apartment. Haku nodded, concerned for Chihiro's safety, but a small part of him wondered how Zeniba knew where she lived, and why Zeniba seemed completely unruffled by all that had happened.

They arrived shortly at Chihiro's small apartment. Haku was already affected from the loss of her spirit. It felt as if winter had taken hold over his soul. His step was weary, and his shoulders slumped. He carefully laid Chihiro on her couch, then stood over her, staring down at her. Zeniba entered the room quietly.

"All is as it should be. It is time for us to leave."

Haku still stared at the sleeping Chihiro.

"Alright then, stay. But leave before she wakes. I must be off. I have other affairs to attend to, and not much time…" Zeniba mumbled. And suddenly she was gone.


	8. Confession

Haku dropped to his knees in front of Chihiro. He leaned forward towards her face, then hesitated. He placed his first two fingers to her forehead, and felt that she was fast asleep. He tried to focus on what caused her fainting spell, but it seemed that her body was just overloaded from the reconnection of her missing piece of spirit. He sighed.

Haku continued to stare at her face. He looked at her eyes, which for some reason had dark circles under them. His gaze drifted lower until he was staring at her lips. The sudden urge to kiss her was so powerful that it nearly took his breath away. He leaned in, then stopped.

"No," he said. "If this is the only chance I get, I want to be what you deserve."

He took a few deep breaths, and focused on his magic. He knew that what he was about to attempt was very dangerous, but he didn't care anymore. All he wanted was to show her how he truly felt, even if she would never actually know. He looked at her once more, then closed his eyes. Magic ripped through him, feeling as if his whole body was tearing apart. He held his breath to keep from making a sound. The torture seemed to go on forever. Then, suddenly, it was over. He opened his eyes, and looked on what he had wrought.

He was tall, over six feet. His hair had grown tremendously, nearly past his waist. His limbs were longer, and far more visibly muscled. It was a good thing his traditional clothes were loose. Instead of ripping, they just stretched a bit to accommodate his new form. He glanced at his reflection in the glass of the coffee table he was kneeling beside. His face had matured, but his eyes still seemed ageless. He looked to be about 20 in human terms. He looked once more, satisfied with what his effort had brought on, and then moved his gaze to Chihiro.

It was like he had never seen her before. He could not get enough of looking at her. He had noticed she had changed when he saw her on the street, but for some reason that hadn't really mattered to him. Now it did indeed. His newly mature body came with some rather mature reactions, something he was not used to struggling with. His eyes sank to her feet, then skimmed up her body. He noticed several things that hadn't changed. She was still absolutely beautiful. She still looked sweet and innocent. But there were other things that were definitely different. She was clearly a woman now. His widening eyes caught glimpses of the results of adulthood before he could control them. In an effort to get his now rather incorrigible mind out of the gutter, he looked to her face. She was still sleeping peacefully. As he watched her sleep, an incredible feeling came over him. He had always known that he loved her, but he hadn't felt anything this strong before. He felt so many conflicting emotions. He wanted to lock her up and protect her from everything and everyone, yet he wanted to show her the world and all its wonders. He wanted to steal her away and keep her to himself, but he also wanted to give her the freedom to do anything she wanted. Most of all, he longed to have her in a way that he had not truly considered before, but he longed to protect her from himself even more.

When his body grew, so did the dragon inside him, and suddenly Haku had a problem. The love of a dragon is a dangerous thing. Such love is willing to give anything for the object of its passion, but it also demands everything in return. As the dragon in Haku's soul looked upon Chihiro, it longed to possess her in every way possible, mentally, spiritually, and physically. Haku stayed kneeling on the floor, battling himself and his desires. Finally, he put aside his wants and needs, and readied himself to do as he originally intended. He looked again at her face, his eyes catching on her lips. She smiled just slightly in her sleep. He leaned forward, and with all the love he could muster, he kissed her as gently as he possibly could. He closed his eyes, trying to memorize the feeling of his lips on hers. Then, although she was still plainly asleep, she began to kiss him back. His eyes snapped open in disbelief, then slid closed again as he lost the capacity for rational thought. Chihiro wrapped an arm around Haku, burying her hand in his hair at the base of his neck. Her kisses came more urgently, and warning bells began chiming in Haku's dazed head. He gathered his strength and pulled away. Chihiro grasped for him for a moment, and then settled into a deeper sleep. Haku's eyes were wild, his breathing erratic. He struggled valiantly against the desire to kiss her again, knowing that if he did he might not be able to control himself. He sat on the floor trying to clear his thoughts. Finally, he decided that it was time to leave. He looked at Chihiro, and leaned to whisper in her ear.

"I love you, Chihiro."

He gave in to weakness one last time and kissed her gently on the lips. Before she could do anything to compromise his self-control again, he pulled away, and gradually faded back to the spirit world, never taking his eyes from her face.


	9. Nightmares

They were back, as usual. Chihiro could always remember her nightmares, and was strangely cognizant of what was happening.

She was ten again, and she was running. She was quite familiar with all the different versions of her nightmares, but that did not make her fear them any less. As she ran, she could feel herself begin to lighten. She held up her hand, and found she could see through it. Panic raced through her. 'It's just a dream,' she told herself, but it felt just as real as ever. She ran faster, almost as if she hoped to outrun whatever was turning her invisible. Finally, she collapsed. Amidst a fragrant flower garden, she drew up her legs and hugged them to herself, and, terrified, buried her face in her knees. Chihiro waited for the image to fade. The nightmare never went any farther than this, just left her gasping in panic as she faded from existence. But suddenly, there was a hand on her shoulder. Her head snapped up. There, with his arms around her, was a boy. Not just any boy, but a boy with the most startling green eyes she had ever seen. His hair and his clothes were from another era, but only seemed to add to his appeal. She tried to push him away in a panic, but her arms flew right through him. Then the boy was speaking, but she could not understand. It was like he was underwater, or as if she had cotton in her ears. She felt something press against her mouth, and before she knew it, she had some sort of berry on her tongue. She chewed unwillingly, and swallowed. Then, the boy held out his hand, and she reached out and touched it with her fingertips, her hand solidifying before her eyes. The boy smiled slightly at her, and she knew that she would be safe with him.

The image faded slowly. Before Chihiro could wonder about the strange (but welcome) turn of events, the next nightmare was upon her. Chihiro knew this one as well. Nothing tangible would happen. She would simply lie on her side, feeling horrific desperation and sorrow. Her panic and despair were so strong that they shook her to her core, even if she could not remember why she was having these feelings. She would spiral down into this dark despair, and then the nightmare would fade as it always had. As she lay there in her dream, she thought she heard a noise. Suddenly, she somehow knew the boy that had saved her in the first dream was back. She couldn't understand him again, but whatever he said filled her with hope. She ran out to meet him, and the boy took her to a field of flowers. He showed her something, something she felt was important, but she just couldn't quite remember. Then they sat among the flowers and he offered her some food. She took it, and as she ate, Chihiro began to cry. She sobbed in desolation. She felt the arm of the boy on her shoulders, and knew somehow it would be ok.

The dream changed again, to yet another nightmare she recognized. There they were, the horrid paper birds. They were streaming through the sky, headed straight for her. There was a window, and although she never shut it in time, she tried yet again. The birds flew at her. The first one flew through the opening, and Chihiro waited to awaken, gasping in terror. But no, not this time. This time, the bird hit her. Then another, and then hundreds more streamed through the open window. She screamed, anticipating the pain that was sure to come. But then, she looked down at her body, and it was whole. The paper birds turned into just that, paper, drifting off in the breeze. She turned slowly in amazement, only to see a horrific sight. There, in the same room with her, was a dragon. Not just any dragon, but an angry, injured dragon.

Chihiro felt a wave of terror. Then she had to do a double take at her own feelings. She was indeed terrified; however, it was not terror _of _this dragon, but _for _him. She couldn't understand the wave of emotion that swept through her at seeing him in such pain. She took a step towards him, and he flew out the window. Chihiro's dream seemed to fast-forward, and she saw strange things she couldn't quite grasp. All she knew was that she was running, trying to get back to the dragon. Then, as she saw him again, the dream slowed back down. He was in danger! He was being pushed into some dark hole. Before she could comprehend what she was doing, she was running to help him. As she reached him, he began to fall, unconscious. She knew that all she would have to do was let go to keep from falling herself, but she clung to him anyway. Then they were falling. Just before they hit the ground, the dragon woke, and they were flying. They flew past dark and horrible figures, then escaped in a terrifying rush.

When they landed, Chihiro approached the dragon, and shoved something in his mouth. Once again, she felt like she should know what was going on, but it was just out of reach of her memory. She held his mouth shut as he struggled, a small voice in the back of her mind wondering what the heck she was doing. Suddenly, a distinctly evil mass came up from his mouth. Then, the dragon began to transform. It was the boy! Chihiro stood over him, and the strangest feeling washed over her. She tried to reason that the young Chihiro in her nightmare was far too young to feel this way, but that didn't stop it. She…_loved_ this boy, loved him as much as one could love another. And she knew that she would do anything to keep him safe.

For once she wished the dream wouldn't fade, so that she could revel in the warmth of her feelings, but it did. She was falling, alone and terrified. Chihiro closed her eyes, trying not to panic, telling herself that she would wake before she hit the ground. But then, she felt something on her hand. She looked, and there he was again. 'I should have known he would save me again' she thought to herself. He looked at her, eyes sparkling as they plummeted. She realized she was crying, but for some reason she had never been so happy. They pulled toward each other, and touched foreheads. They pulled up from the fall and flew away. It occurred to Chihiro that since she felt his hand in hers, she never even thought about hitting the ground. She smiled to herself as the dream faded.

Then suddenly, there was something new. New, and amazing. She was being kissed. Truly kissed. There was no image in her mind to accompany this feeling, but for the moment she did not need one. All she could feel were lips on hers, soft and marvelous. Now she knew why she just wasn't interested in any of the boys she had met. She had been waiting for this. She did not know who it was, or why this was happening, but she could feel such love emanating from him that she could not bring herself to care. She moved her arm around him to bring him closer. Her hand came into contact with his hair. It was long, soft and incredibly smooth. She began to doubt her sanity as she pulled him closer and he started to kiss her in earnest. She had to be dreaming, but she could never dream up something this wonderful. Then, he was pulling away. She fought to come awake before the dream disappeared completely, but then he was gone. She lay unconscious, remembering the feel of the lips she had imagined on hers, and drifted off to her first peaceful slumber in years.


	10. Dragon Tears

Haku's return caused no small stir. His new appearance was shocking, his attitude even more so. He was cold and distant, which wasn't much of a change, but now he exuded an almost dangerous aura. The bathhouse workers walked on egg shells around him, and even Yubaba found herself being careful about what she said to him. Haku did his work, took care of his duties, but no more. He was summoned back to the Council of Spirits, but he merely sent a message saying that he had accomplished what they had asked of him, and asked them to leave him be. At daybreak, as the bathhouse closed and everyone drifted to sleep, he lay awake. He closed his eyes and imagined Chihiro's face. He smiled a bit as he thought of their kiss. He imagined her waking up, and recognizing him. He thought of how she would say his name. He pictured the rest of his life as being just like this, untold years of longing for something he could not have, for someone who did not want him, and Haku wept.


	11. Awakening

"Haku!"

Chihiro woke suddenly, her eyes popping open. The sound of her voice faded as she came to consciousness. She knew that she had said something in her sleep, and the sound of it had woken her, but she could not quite remember what it was.

The first thing she noticed was that she was on her couch. The second thing she noticed was that she felt better than she had in years. She sat up, holding her hands in front of her face. She glanced down at her body. She did not look any different, but she felt so much more vital, so _alive_. She got up and went to brush her teeth. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and nearly dropped her toothbrush. She almost did not recognized herself. Her eyes were bright and clear, her dark circles gone. Her skin was rosy and almost glowed. She left the bathroom and sat heavily on the couch, wondering what in the world had happened. She tried to remember how she had gotten home, but all she remembered was a strange light, then the feeling of something warm hitting her. She remembered falling, but she did not recall hitting the pavement.

She thought about what a wonderful rest she had, when suddenly the memories of her dreams flooded back to her. She remembered the green-eyed boy, and how he managed to save her from every nearly every nightmare that had plagued her since she was a child. Then she recalled the kiss. 'Oh, what a kiss!' she thought, sighing to herself. As she thought about it, she supposed she had dreamed of kissing the boy who saved her. But then she realized that she did not kiss him as the 10 year old innocent Chihiro that always appeared in her nightmares, but as herself, fully grown and perfectly aware of what she was doing. She thought about it more, reliving the experience, and strongly suspected that the kiss in her dreams was definitely not from the same young boy who came to her rescue. No, that sort of kiss could not be in a child's ability to give. This kiss was filled with passion, mystery, and unfulfilled yearnings that no child could experience. 'No, I definitely kissed a man,' she surmised, blushing slightly at the thought.

As she got ready for the day, she could not stop thinking about the boy. He seemed so real. She played her dreams over and over in her mind as she went to school. She sat in class, dreamily looking out the window. She realized she was sighing aloud when she looked up and saw several of her friends staring at her. They all questioned her between classes, commenting on her drastically changed appearance and attitude. She just shrugged, telling them that she had just had a really good dream, and it must have stuck with her. She came back to her apartment after school and work, and decided to hit the sack early. She fell on her bed, smiling, for once unafraid of what dreams might come.


	12. Reality Check

Haku woke, his eyes sore from the previous night. He got up, and got ready for another day of labor at the bathhouse. As he was changing, he heard a knock on his door. Before he could answer, a dark-haired woman popped in.

"Alright, jerk, what is the DEAL with you?"

"Lin, I am in no mood. Go away," Haku muttered irritably.

"No way, bub. I _know_ you have done something. We all saw how much you were affected by Sen. Then she leaves and you act like a lost puppy. Suddenly you go to the human world and come back like, like, _this,"_ she gestured to his body, "and you are acting even worse! What happened? I'm her friend and I deserve to know!"

"First of all, do NOT call her Sen. Her name is Chihiro!"

Lin took a step back, surprised by his intense reaction.

"Second, yes, I did see her. What is it to you?"

Lin's expression grew puzzled, then angry. "What then, did you scare her off? Is she not here because you told her you don't want her? Were you all cold and heartless like normal? Did she realize that she was way too good for a distant, cold, overbearing…"

"ENOUGH!!!!"

Lin's eyes grew wide. Haku was glaring so menacingly that even her normally brass attitude was subdued.

"She is not here because she doesn't want to be!" His voice grew quiet. "She doesn't remember us, Lin. She doesn't remember me. She is a human. She needs to live her life free of these complications."

Lin recovered, and then huffed "Don't you think that she should be the one to decide what she needs?"

Haku remained silent, turning away from her.

"She was crazy about you, and you are just gonna let her live all alone, wondering why she can't get over some nonexistent guy. You are so scared of getting turned down that you won't risk it, even if it might be the only way to make you happy, to make her happy." Lin pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes. "You are pathetic."

Haku's hands balled into fists, but he did not respond.

"Whatever. I'm only here to give you a message anyway. Yubaba says the Council wants to see you. Now. Since you so politely declined them last time, they decided to clear up the confusion. It is no longer a request. It's an order."

The door slammed behind her as she left.

Haku sat on the edge of his pallet and put his head in his hands.

'What more could they ask of me?' he thought.

He sat for a moment, then gathered his strength, straightened, and headed to the open window. He cast himself off the ledge, freefalling for a moment before transforming into the lithe form of a dragon and flying off to meet the Council.


	13. Memories

As Chihiro drifted to sleep, she felt somehow expectant. She knew that tonight would be different. She longed to see the emerald-eyed boy again. She hoped for a chance to experience that heavenly kiss again.

Her dreams began, but they were unlike anything she had ever experienced. She knew she had to be dreaming, but these felt so much like memories, not the imaginings of her own mind.

She was ten again, that much was the same. But she was with her parents. She was in the backseat of a bouncing car, holding a bouquet. 'Oh,' she thought to herself, 'this was the day we moved.' Suddenly the dream jumped forward, and she was standing in a tunnel as the wind seemed to pull her in. Her parents went in, and she followed. Another jump forward, and they were in some sort of abandoned theme park. Her parents were eating. Not only were they eating, but they were eating big. Then, before her eyes, they seemed to change. She swallowed back her shriek of terror. Her parents had somehow become pigs! The dream flashed forward again, to a scene she was familiar with. She sat, rocking in terror, fading from existence. She dimly wondered if the boy would save her again. And then, there he was. She looked up at him as he spoke. She could understand him now.

Then the dream turned into a stream of images. She saw a strange, spider-like man. 'Kamaji.' Chihiro could not place where the name had come from, but she knew that it was correct. Then she saw herself standing before a scary woman, begging for a job. She saw her name disappear into the woman's hand. 'Yubaba.' Images flashed through her mind faster and faster. 'Lin, No Face, Zeniba.' She named them as they appeared, their names returning to her memory. The stream of images was so fast that she had to concentrate to understand what was going on. Then the last image, her standing with the boy on a grassy hill, came to her mind. As she asked if they would meet again, and he promised they would, she tried to recall his name. Desperately, she waited for the epiphany to come. Then she saw herself let go of his outstretched hand and run across the field, not even turning once. As she came to the tunnel, she felt her head begin to turn, to see if he was still there, but she caught herself. 'He told me not to,' she thought. Then, just before she crossed the threshold into the tunnel, it came. 'Haku.'


	14. Complications

Haku strode into the council chambers, ready to get it over with. As he approached, he noticed that Zeniba was there. 'Not surprising,' he thought. 'If they send me somewhere else, they will probably want her to babysit me again.'

As he sent a disparaging glance at her, she winked mischievously. Haku wondered for a second, then decided he just did not care.

"Kohaku," the Master Councilman began, "We are glad to see that you have finally come."

"It is not as if I had much choice. Sir."

"Well, that may be, but it is irrelevant. Your disrespect will be forgiven due to the current circumstances."

Haku sighed. "And what circumstances might those be?"

The Master Councilman turned to Zeniba.

"The balance was not restored," she said evenly.

Haku began to protest, thinking they were accusing him of not returning Chihiro's spirit.

Zeniba held up her hand. "No, Haku, I know very well that you gave back what was not yours. That is not the issue."

"Then what is?" he asked.

The Master Councilman faltered slightly. "We are not entirely sure."

"For some reason, the human world and the spirit world are still being drawn together. You and Chihiro are at the center of this pull," explained Zeniba.

Haku paused. "What exactly do you expect me to do?"

"We expect you to fix it!" cried out one of the council members.

"Quiet down" said the Master Councilman. "Kohaku knows full well the consequences of failure in this, and I am sure that he will look into the matter immediately." He looked at Haku. "As compensation for your effort, we are prepared to grant you your freedom from Yubaba. Your contract will be destroyed, and your life will be your own."

Haku's eyes lit up, then dimmed again. Why would he want his freedom now, now that Chihiro was out of his life? 'So much for my 'air-tight' contract' he thought condescendingly.

"How exactly do you propose I fix this?"

"Well, I suggest that you go observe the girl. See if you can figure out what is creating this force. Then act on what you find. We really do not care about the specifics, only that this problem be solved."

Haku's eyes narrowed dangerously. "You should know that I will bring no harm to her, even at the cost of failure."

The Council scoffed. "Then I suggest you find a solution that we can all live with, and quickly," concluded the Master Councilman. "Zeniba will accompany you, both to provide assistance and an accurate report of your actions. Go now, and let this finally be resolved."

Haku, not bothering to bow, turned and left.


	15. Hallucinations

Chihiro woke with Haku's name on her lips. She lay for a moment, trying to gather her thoughts. She felt strange. 'I should be concerned,' she thought. 'I should think I am going crazy.' But instead, she was strangely at peace. A small voice in the back of her mind wondered how she could believe something so outrageous, but she whole-heartedly accepted that her dream was in fact reality. She could remember the heat of Kamaji's boiler room. She could smell the breath of the polluted water spirit. She could taste the dumpling Lin swiped for her. Most of all, she could feel Haku's hand in her own. She could see his eyes, so startlingly green, and she knew that she could never invent someone so wonderful. "Haku," she sighed aloud. Suddenly she thought she heard a sound. She sat up and looked around, but she was alone. She felt uneasy, but brushed it off as a side effect of her rather mind-blowing revelations.

Her uneasiness did not fade. Her eyes played tricks on her continuously. She would hear her name, and look up to see a flash of hair, black with a strange green tint to it, only to look closer and it would vanish. She would scan the crowd of students at school and gasp as she thought she saw _his_ eyes, but they were never there. She even thought she saw a dragon twisting through the sky, but ascribed it to a trick of the light. 'I am losing my mind,' she thought. Then she smiled. 'Well, at least it is an enjoyable experience.' She sat in class, her breath catching every so often when she thought she saw him, sketching set after set of green eyes on her notebook. By the end of the day, her head was spinning. 'I have to see,' she thought to herself. 'I have to know for sure.'

As soon as the last bell rang she was out the door. She ran, not really knowing where she was heading, but sure that her feet would lead her to her destination. Soon she came to a dirt road. She looked once more at the tiny spirit houses, being careful not to disturb them. She no longer doubted the existence of spirits. She ran down the road, finally coming to her destination. There was the tunnel. She bent and placed her hands on her knees, catching her breath. When she looked up, he was there, perched on the frog statue. Her eyes went wide. She reached up to rub them, doubting her sight. When she removed her hands, he was gone. She felt a sob rising up, but choked it back down. She walked dejectedly over to the statue. She leaned back against it, then slowly sank to the ground.

"I can't take this!" she cried.

Even as she was furious with him for not coming to her, his name still escaped her lips as she cried.

"Haku…"


	16. Spirit Stalker?

*That morning*

Haku had his work cut out for him. How on earth was he supposed to merely _observe_ the love of his life? How could he watch her and not go to her? It was somewhat easier when she slept. Haku and Zeniba hovered over Chihiro's sleeping form, examining her for the cause of the devastating pull still emanating from her. All that they found was that the gravity-like force seemed to lessen in intensity when Haku was near.

Zeniba left to look into the matter from her home, where she thought she might be able to think more clearly. She instructed Haku, "Stay with her, and I will return shortly." With that, she vanished.

After dawn, Chihiro stirred from her sleep. Haku waited for her to rise, but she stayed in bed for a moment. She looked as if she was intensely concentrating on something. Then, as he looked at her beautiful face, she closed her eyes and sighed. "Haku," she said dreamily.

Haku could not contain the air rushing out of his lungs in surprise. The fact that Chihiro seemed to hear him paled in comparison to the fact that she had said his name. "She remembers me?" he asked himself.

"Obviously." Zeniba appeared behind him. "She not only appears to remember you, but to remember you quite fondly, if I'm not mistaken." She chuckled as Haku's cheeks reddened slightly.

"How is that possible?" he asked. "She did not know me only a few days ago."

Zeniba frowned in thought. "I imagine it has something to do with the piece of her soul that you returned to her. You could only take it if it was freely given, and it makes sense that the part of her that would want to be with you strongest would be the part that knew you, that remembered her journey. Since you gave it back, it seems to have restored her lost memories."

Haku turned to watch Chihiro again. "Do you her memories might be why we are still having this problem?" He asked.

"I don't believe so. Mere knowledge should not have such an effect. I think that I might be able to come to a conclusion with more information. Would you tell me about your interactions with Chihiro? Starting from the beginning?"

Haku nodded.

Throughout the rest of the day they followed Chihiro, and Haku recounted his time with her to Zeniba, starting from the very beginning, when he saved her in his river. Zeniba listened quietly as Haku seemed to forget that he was speaking to someone else, his eyes going out of focus as he remembered the times he had with her. Zeniba did notice something peculiar. Every time Haku said Chihiro's name, she would look up, as if she heard. And sometimes she would look straight at Haku, as if she could see him. But when she looked harder, the disappointment was evident in her eyes as he disappeared from her sight.

When the school bell rang, Chihiro's eyes grew steely with desperation. She got up and started running. Haku and Zeniba looked at each other, then took off after her.

When Haku realized where she was going, he dared to hope that maybe, just maybe, she had retained some feelings for him.

When they reached the tunnel and Chihiro stopped to catch her breath, Haku perched on the frog statue in front of her. He gazed at her longingly. Suddenly, she looked up, and he could tell that she recognized him, even though he was supposed to be invisible to her. He froze. When she rubbed her eyes in disbelief, he flew to join Zeniba in the trees. As he watched her sink to the ground, crying out that she couldn't take it, he feared that he might not be able to control himself. When she sobbed his name, there was no alternative in his mind. Zeniba saw him step forward, and reached out to stop him, but his glare rooted her to the ground.

"I will not hear her cry over me, ever, EVER again."

His gaze moved to Chihiro's slumped body as he strode towards her.


	17. Reunion

"Chihiro, don't cry."

Chihiro paused. She did not recognize the deep, smooth voice that called her name, yet it seemed somehow familiar. She looked up very slowly. There he was. She quickly hid her face, not wanting to see him disappear yet again from her sight. But then she realized exactly what she had seen, and dared to look again.

Standing before her was Haku. She knew it was. But at the same time, it was not Haku. Her eyes swept over his tall, muscular body, his long hair worn in a low pony tail, and settled on his face. Men were not supposed to be beautiful, she knew this. But that was the first word that came to her mind. His eyes were the only thing that had not changed, at least not physically, though the emotion in those eyes certainly had. She felt as if she could not move, could not breathe, not with him looking at her like that. She had never been the focus of such a look, and it sent a silent thrill through her. He moved towards her, and she felt like she was physically heating up. She touched her hands together, as if to see if they were burning, but she could not rip her eyes from his long enough to look for herself. As he came closer, the intensity of his stare seemed to increase dramatically, until, when he squatted down in front of her, his face a foot from hers, she had to remind herself to breathe to keep from passing out.

His hand reached up to her face, and she closed her eyes for fear that if she touched him, he would disappear again. When she felt his finger tips on her cheek, her eyes cautiously slid open. As he dried her eyes, she allowed herself to hope that this might be real.

"H-Haku?" she asked haltingly.

"I promised we would meet again, didn't I?" he said with a smile.

Chihiro leapt at him with childish exuberance. She knocked him on his back and landed on his chest in her excitement, locking her arms around his neck and burying her face in his shoulder.

"Haku!" she exclaimed. "I knew you'd come!"

Haku's eyes widened at her sudden proximity. He lay shocked for a moment, then hugged her back just as tightly.

"I missed you, too" he said as he chuckled at her reaction. He bent his face to the top of her head and inhaled deeply, sighing.

She raised her head to look up at him. He gazed down at her in a way that made her heart beat faster. They stared into each other's eyes.

"Eh-hem," Zeniba coughed into her hand.

Chihiro looked at her, then at Haku. She had not noticed the rather compromising position they had ended up in. Chihiro let go and tried to push herself up off of Haku, but Haku did not loosen his grip. Chihiro blushed profusely as Haku continued to stare at her, not letting her budge an inch, even with Zeniba waiting. Haku chuckled at Chihiro's embarrassment. He had no intention of letting her out of his reach any time soon. Then he whispered, and they began floating up as if lifted by invisible hands. Chihiro's eyes widened as they were left standing, but still in each other's arms. She was pressed to his chest, lifted several inches off the ground.

Zeniba smiled. "It is good to see you again, dear."

"Granny!" Chihiro tried to twist out of Haku's grasp to properly greet her, but Haku kept her trapped between his steel arms and his stone chest. She sighed, exasperated, but the effect was ruined by the smile fighting to appear on her lips.

Zeniba chuckled. "You are going to have to let her go sooner or later, Haku."

Haku's eyes glinted mischievously as he smiled down at Chihiro. "No, I don't think so."

Chihiro thought for a moment that his possessiveness should frighten her, but all she could feel was elation that he wanted to be with her. She smiled giddily, then did her best impression of an angry scowl and playfully smacked his chest.

"Alright, alright. But you should know that we are in no way done here," he said as he let her slip to the ground. She started to giggle, but when she caught his eyes, she saw that he was more than serious. Her eyes widened, and she gulped slightly. Blushing, she ran to hug Zeniba.

"It's good to see you, too, Granny!"

As she let go of Zeniba, Haku was there, slipping an arm around her waist. He could not help it. He just had to touch her.

"Alright, we had better get moving. We have work to do," Zeniba said, turning towards the tunnel.

Chihiro looked up at Haku, who shrugged, then led her down the tunnel after Zeniba.


	18. Revelation

As they walked toward the light in the dark tunnel, Chihiro's mind swam. Her dream was real, she did come here as a child. And Haku, well, Haku was more than real. He was larger than life. She was currently pressed to his side, and more than happy to be there.

Haku was nearly as dazed as she was. He could not believe how easy it was to break the rules and go to her. While he was pretty sure that this would only make the balance between the worlds worse, he just could not bring himself to regret it. Here she was, content to walk with him, his arm around her, just as if she had never left. He tried to calm the raging sensations of his relatively new body. Just the smell of her hair was driving him crazy. He realized he had a huge smile plastered on his face, so he made an effort to appear a little more like his usual stoic self, but failed. He looked down at Chihiro, and she had a giddy grin as well, so he supposed it was not too bad.

"So, what were you two doing in the human world?" Chihiro asked.

Haku was just beginning to try to come up with something other than 'Oh nothing, just stalking you' when Zeniba spoke up.

"We were trying to solve a very serious problem."

"Can I help?" Chihiro asked.

Haku pulled her even closer. "Do you really think we should involve her in this directly, Zeniba?"

Zeniba laughed. "Well, no, I don't, but it is a little late, don't you think?"

Haku blushed, but did not loosen his grip on her.

"What is going on, guys?" Chihiro asked, concerned.

Zeniba said "I'll explain as we go. We have far to travel, and we need to stay hidden for now. If the Council finds out about this, I doubt they will be pleased."

They finally arrived at the end of the tunnel. The waving grass was just as she remembered. As they walked across, they came to the river, or at least where the river would be by nightfall. Chihiro paused.

"Don't worry, I'll be able to take you back home any time," assured Haku.

Chihiro looked up at him, confused, then explained, "Oh, that's not it. I hadn't even thought about that."

"What is it then?" asked Haku.

"It just feels so right. Like I am coming home, instead of leaving it."

Haku smiled down at her. She broke free of his arm to leap across the river rocks, laughing freely.

As he watched her go, Haku fought against the panic rising up inside him. Sure, she was here now, but eventually she would leave again. She didn't belong here. She was human, and it was her nature to long for the human world. He felt his breathing speed up as he imagined having to watch her leave again. 'No,' he thought emphatically. 'There has to be a way.'

"Haku, are you coming?" he heard Chihiro call out.

He tried to put those thoughts from his mind as he followed after her, not wanting her to see his fear. "Right behind you" he said.

"We have to get away from the bathhouse before sunset. Haku, do you know of any place we could hide for a bit?" asked Zeniba.

"Why don't we just go to your house, Granny?" asked Chihiro.

"Well, I would not mind, and I am sure that No Face would be glad to see you, but we should find somewhere that the Council will not come looking. I can go back to my house, as I was expected to return intermittently until we finished our mission, but if I brought you two, it might result in trouble."

They walked in silence for a while, then Haku spoke up. "I know where I can take her. In the mountains far to the south there is an old shrine to the dragons. I believe it is deserted. We will be safe there for a time."

Zeniba eyed Haku for a moment, then consented. "Very well. I will travel part of the way with you, so that I might explain things a bit. Then I will return home and see if I can't figure this whole thing out."

As they walked, Zeniba explained to Chihiro about the problem with the balance between worlds. Her eyes grew wide as she heard that her spirit was somehow at the center of the problem.

"Wait, so this is my fault?" she asked, horrified.

"No, no, it's not," Haku interjected. "This is my fault, Chihiro."

Chihiro looked at him curiously, then asked, "Well, then, how exactly is this problem with _my_ spirit _your_ fault?"

Haku studied the ground as they walked, unsure of how to explain what he had done without freaking her out completely. Once again, Zeniba came to the rescue.

"He did not want to let you go completely, so he saved a bit of who you were, to keep you nearby. That piece of your spirit then began to draw back to you, bringing our world with it. He gave it back the other day, when you fainted. You probably fainted due to the memories all rushing back. Your mind then suppressed them until you were asleep, where you could more adequately deal with them."

Haku shot a grateful look to Zeniba for her gentle explanation.

Chihiro was silent, then she spun to Haku, furious.

"So you mean that I couldn't remember you because you took my memories away? How could you do that!?" Haku stood still, mouth hanging open slightly, flabbergasted.

"Do you know how horrible it was, longing for something, for someone, but not ever being able to define it? Can you even comprehend how terrible…"

"Chihiro, that is enough," Zeniba interrupted with a sigh. "He did not take your memories; he took the part of your spirit that was most intertwined in his. When you left, your memories were erased automatically, as part of the price of a human crossing the boundary between worlds. You only remembered everything when that piece of you was returned because Haku kept it here while you crossed back over. If he had not done as he had, you would never have remembered anything."

"Oh," Chihiro said, looking sheepishly at Haku before continuing to walk after Zeniba.

Haku walked alongside her, and finally gathered his scattered wits. "Wait. Let me see if I understand this. You aren't upset because I reached into your very soul and pulled out a piece so I could keep you close, not caring what it did to you, but you are upset because by doing so I might have made you forget me?" he asked incredulously.

"Well, yeah, I guess so." She shrugged self-consciously. "I mean, I really don't care about you keeping me with you however you could. If I could have, I suppose I would have done the same thing," she admitted, blushing.

Zeniba, who was still walking ahead, stopped in her tracks. "Of course…" she whispered, eyes wide with understanding.

Haku glanced at her, concerned. "Zeniba?"

"Take Chihiro to the dragon shrine. I need to go. I think I may have thought of something," she responded cryptically.

"Should we wait for you to contact us or should we come to you?" he asked.

"Wait. I should not be long, though I'm sure you two will do just fine on your own," she said with a small smile.

Chihiro glanced up at Haku and blushed at the look in his eyes.

When they looked back, Zeniba was gone.

"Well then, shall we speed things up a little?" Haku suggested.

Chihiro nodded, too excited to speak. She hoped that meant what she thought it did. Haku smiled, then transformed before her eyes. Chihiro gasped. He was even more beautiful than she remembered. His smooth scales shimmered in the sunlight. His head bowed down to hers, and she nuzzled against his forehead as she had when she was a child. Then she climbed on his back, and they were flying.


	19. The Shrine

What seemed like mere moments went by, and they arrived at the shrine. The mountains looked ominous all around. The shrine was well hidden, near the peak of a mountain overlooking the sea. They landed just as the clouds began to darken, and Haku reverted back to his human form.

"Looks like we made it just in time" said Chihiro.

"Yes, this is going to be quite a storm," replied Haku.

They stood on the ledge, watching the clouds boiling on the horizon. Chihiro glanced side-long to Haku as he stared at the sky, then shyly took his hand. He looked down at her and smiled.

"Come," he said. "We don't want to get wet." They walked hand in hand into the entrance of the shrine.

As soon as they got under the ledge, the heavens opened up and rain poured down. Chihiro looked at Haku, an eyebrow raised. He smiled.

"I guess being a water spirit dragon has its perks?" she asked coyly.

Haku looked at her for a moment, then laughed. This was not his usual suppressed chuckle, but a full, enthusiastic laugh. Chihiro, having never heard him so openly happy, decided that his laugh might just be her favorite sound in the world.

"Come on, you must be hungry," he said as he led her into farther into the shrine.

The dark stone was somehow welcoming, even though it was obvious that no one had visited in some time. Haku cast his hand out at several sconces, lighting the wicks to brighten the dark sanctuary. Chihiro glanced around, her eyes wide.

They stood in a cavernous round stone room, with sconces at regular intervals along the walls. The largest mural she had ever seen covered every inch of the colossal walls, depicting various dragons twisting playfully through the air. Though the paint was faded and chipped, she still felt that if she reached out her hand, she might actually feel the smooth scales of the painted dragon hovering nearby. Suspended from the ceiling was a bronze statue of a huge dragon in flight.

Haku held Chihiro's hand as she looked around in wonder. She looked back at him, eyes bright. He smiled as they stared into each other's eyes. Neither moved. Their smiles faded slowly as they got caught up in the intensity of their stare. Chihiro's heart beat frantically, and her breath come in short gasps. She couldn't bring herself to form a coherent thought. Haku seemed to grow more still, which only served to make his stare more intense. Chihiro began to shake just slightly. She licked her suddenly dry lips. Haku's gaze dropped to her mouth. Suddenly thunder crashed, echoing off the stone. Chihiro cringed, and the strange spell surrounding them was subdued, at least for the moment.

"Come, there are living quarters down the hall," Haku informed her as he shook his head to clear his mind.

They went thought a side door into a dark passageway. Haku continued to light the hanging torches as they went. They came to a series of rooms.

"Here are the sleeping rooms. Take your pick. I will be in the kitchen. It's down the hall a bit further. Get settled in. If you need anything, we can probably find it in the storage room," Haku instructed.

Chihiro nodded her understanding and pulled away to do as he asked. His hand would not release her. She looked down at their entwined fingers, then looked back up to Haku's face.

Haku looked down as well, then blinked, releasing her hand. "Oh, sorry," he said. She couldn't tell clearly in the torchlight, but she was pretty sure he was blushing.

She smiled as she walked to the nearest room. Haku's eyes followed her until she disappeared beyond the doorframe. He sighed, then went to see what he could find for dinner.

Chihiro leaned back against the wall for support. She waited until she heard Haku's light footsteps fade down the hall, then she slide down the wall, breathing in gasps. 'This is actually happening!' she screamed in her mind. Her thoughts swam chaotically. He was here, he was real. And most importantly, he _wanted_ her. She had never paid much attention to the boys at school, so she was fairly inexperienced at being a good judge of desire, but it was hard to mistake the look in his eyes. When he had stared at her in the shrine's main room, she had never felt so vulnerable, yet so safe at the same time.

She got up, desperate to put her hands to work so that she might be able to clear her head. She took the sleeping pallet out in the hall and beat off the dust. As she fluffed the pallet, she suddenly wondered where Haku would be sleeping tonight. She dropped the pallet and busied herself with clearing the cobwebs from the room, her face heated. In an effort to give herself time to calm down before she saw him again, she cleaned a room for Haku, too. When she felt that her face would not betray her thoughts, she went down the hall to find him.

In the kitchen, Haku was having problems of his own. He fought desperately for control over his thoughts. He had a pretty good idea of what was considered to be a normal relationship for a teenage human, and the fierce, eternal devotion of a dragon lover was definitely not normal. He thought back to his display earlier near the tunnel, and slapped his hand to his forehead. He never had a problem with self-control before, but now the mere presence of Chihiro caused him to do and say things before his brain caught up with the rest of him. Haku's love for Chihiro was incredibly powerful, and he feared that such an intense emotion would be too much for her, so he resolved to just be her friend, at least for a time.

She walked in the kitchen behind him. He looked over his shoulder and managed a friendly smile. He turned back to his work. 'See, that's not so bad,' he assured himself. Then he felt her arms slip around his middle as she briefly hugged his back. He stiffened. 'Ok, so she is going to make this difficult.' She let go and walked back to the hallway.

"Where is this storage room you were talking about?" she asked.

Haku dried his hands and came to stand beside her in the hall. He raised his hand and torches lit in succession down the hall.

"If you follow the torches, they will take you there," he replied.

Chihiro smiled up at him, already used to his displays of magic, and turned to walk down the now brightly-lit hallway.

As Haku continued to prepare their food, he saw her march past the kitchen several times, arms loaded down with various objects. She seemed excited about her project. After a time, Haku called to her to let her know that the food was ready.

They sat in the small eating area, and as they ate, they took turns asking each other questions. Chihiro wanted to know about Haku's life as a river spirit, and Haku wanted to know about the last eight years Chihiro spent in the human world. They talked well into the night, the storm dying down in the background. Chihiro hid her yawn behind her hand, her tired body unable to keep up with her excited mind. Haku stood, and offered his hand to help Chihiro up. She smiled and took it. He led her to the room that she had first gone in, and paused at the door. He turned to Chihiro, took her hands in his own, and looked down at her face.

"Goodnight, Chihiro," he said quietly.

"Goodnight," she breathed. She did not move towards the door, and he made no move to let her go. They stared at each other.

Haku was waging a silent war in his mind as he gazed down at Chihiro's chocolate eyes. 'Be strong, Haku,' he admonished himself. 'Don't do this. She doesn't need this. Just let her go to bed, then you can go dunk yourself in a cold water trough.' While he was dealing with his dilemma, Chihiro seemed perfectly content to stare at his face, a slight smile on her lips.

Finally, against his better judgment, he leaned down towards her. Chihiro simply closed her eyes and trustingly waited. His lips brushed lightly against hers, then he straightened. He looked at her for a moment more, then let go of her hands and strode off towards the sanctuary. 'Time to find that water trough,' he thought to himself.


	20. Bedtime

Chihiro, slightly dazed, watched Haku go. When he disappeared down the corridor, she went in her room. She sat on the edge of her pallet, eyes unblinking. 'He kissed me,' she assured herself. 'He actually kissed me.' She put her hand to her still tingling lips. Suddenly, she flung herself back on the pallet, kicking her feet against the floor in elation. She grabbed a pillow she had found in the storage room and used it to muffle her squeal of excitement. After her outburst, she lay still, trying to catch her breath. She found herself wishing that it had been more than a little peck. She thought back to the kiss in her dreams. Then it hit her. That was no dream. That was Haku. That night he had brought her back to her apartment after she fainted, that much Zeniba had said. From their earlier talks, she assumed that his change in appearance must have occurred very recently. 'He must have changed then, and kissed me,' she reasoned. Suddenly, she was angry. 'He thinks he can kiss me like that when I am not supposed to remember, then give me the slightest peck when I am fully conscious?' Her breath caught: 'Maybe, once he saw me awake and talked to me, he didn't want me like he had before.' But then she remembered how he had looked at her by the tunnel, and earlier in the shrine. 'No, I guess that's not it,' she thought, smiling. As she lay puzzling about Haku's behavior, sleep gently took her. Her last thoughts were of him.

Meanwhile, Haku decided to go for a long walk, mainly to get Chihiro out of range of his dragon-enhanced senses. The scent of her hair, the sound of her heartbeat, it was becoming too much for him. He walked down the dark tunnel as it snaked further down into the mountain. Eventually, when he felt that he had sufficiently calmed himself, he sat in the dark tunnel to think. First, he now knew that he would not be able to be just friends with Chihiro. He just did not have the control. But he swore that he would not do anything that would take advantage of her trust. He would love her whole-heartedly, but when it was time for her to leave, he would let her go. She deserved to be happy, even if that meant being without him. Once he decided on his course of action, he rose calmly, and walked back to the sleeping quarters. A torch was lit in the room neighboring Chihiro's, so he peeked inside. He felt a wave of warm emotion. The room had been swept clean. The once bare stone walls were hung with tapestries, all depicting flowing water. A sleeping pallet lay under several inviting-looking pillows. On top of one was a torn piece of parchment. It read "Just wanted to give you a little taste of home (or at least what I imagine your home to be). I hope you like it. Love, Chihiro"

Her words began to blur as his eyes glistened. 'She did this for me, just because she thought I would like it,' he thought, incredulous. He lay back on the bed she had prepared for him, and tried to remember if anyone had ever done something like this for him, something motivated only out of simple kindness and concern. Nothing came to mind. He gazed at her note until he could not keep his eyes open any longer. He drifted to sleep, his last thoughts of her.

Chihiro woke suddenly. She could feel that it was still night. Her hair fell around her shoulders as she sat up, having come unbound while she slept. She had been dreaming again. This time, her dreams were blissful reenactments of Haku's kisses. When her dreams began to take the encounter beyond an innocent kiss, her subconscious exploring what her conscious mind would not, she had come awake in a sweat. She had the sudden urge to see him again. She narrowed her eyes and smiled mischievously. Maybe it was time for some payback. She got up as quietly as she could and tip-toed to the hallway. She checked in the room she had prepared for him, and found him asleep, the torch barely burning on the wall. She was unbelievably glad that he had decided to use the room she had worked on. She walked quietly over to him, looking down at his angelic face, now without fear of being paralyzed by his intense eyes. She allowed her eyes to wander down his body, the fleeting memories of her most recent dream bringing a blush to her skin. His hand caught her eye. He had fallen asleep still holding her note. She felt as if her heart was swelling. She loved him so much that she did not think she could contain it all. As she stood over him, she realized that while Zeniba and Kamaji had said she did, and while she signed it on the note, she had never actually told him she loved him. 'Well,' she thought, 'I will just have to remedy that.' She found herself staring at his lips. It was time to give him a taste of his own medicine. She glanced up to his eyes once more. He looked fast asleep. She smiled, kneeling down beside his pallet. She leaned down to his face, and, gently, so as not to wake him, she kissed him.

Haku's eyes popped open as soon as she made contact. Once he realized that he was not dreaming, he shut them again. He lay still as Chihiro continued to press her lips to his. After a time, she pulled away, examining his face. He could feel her breath on his skin, but he managed to control his breathing and act as if he was still asleep. He was glad that she somehow did not hear his heart galloping in his chest. Chihiro decided it was time to raise the stakes a little. She leaned in again, and kissed him firmly. He still managed not to react.

When she pulled away again, he opened his eyes just slightly, and saw her leaning over him, her hair pulled over one shoulder. She was looking at his lips, apparently confident that he was still asleep. She shifted her weight to one arm, and moved her other hand up to his face. Her face was a mask of intense concentration as her fingertips traced his features. Her fingers ran though his bangs, sweeping them off his forehead. She lightly touched his eyelids, brushing his thick lashes. 'That is not fair,' she thought. 'His eyelashes are longer than mine.' Chihiro was no longer entertaining thoughts of revenge. All she could think of was Haku.

His lower lip began to tremble slightly as her fingertips followed his brow, his cheekbone, the strong line of his jaw. She traced a finger over his lips. When she leaned down and her lips were on his again, he could not lie still any longer. His arm swept up around her and pulled her to him. He turned with her, so that she was lying on her side on the inside of the pallet, pressed between his body and the wall. Her eyes flew open in surprise, but her lips never left his. Her eyes closed as she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him as she remembered in her dreams. Haku's head swam. He could not believe how good it felt to have her close, to kiss her, and to have her kiss him back. His hand came up to trace the flow of her hair down her back. Her lips parted slightly, and she tilted her head instinctively to press her lips harder against his. When his lips parted under the pressure, she could not believe how wonderful he tasted. Haku was briefly shocked by her rather forward move, but he quickly recovered, taking advantage of her obvious willingness to kiss her as he had always wanted to. After a few moments, they pulled apart, gasping for breath, their foreheads touching as they gazed into each other's eyes. After she caught her breath, Chihiro spoke haltingly.

"Well, I suppose I should go back to my room and go to sleep now."

Haku chuckled slightly, and his arms pulled her tighter to him.

"I'm not going to sleep?" she asked.

"Hmm. Well, I believe you should go back to sleep, but I don't think that you will be going anywhere else to do so," he said, smiling handsomely.

Chihiro tried to smile coyly up at him, but it came out as a giddy grin. She snuggled up close to him, laying her head on his chest. Haku cast his hand out at the torch, and the light sputtered out, leaving them in darkness. He motioned at the blanket at the foot of the pallet, and it floated up to cover them. His draped his arm across Chihiro, sighing contentedly.

"Haku?"

"Yes?"

She paused briefly.

"I love you."

Chihiro held her breath in the silence that followed. She wondered if she shouldn't have said anything. Then she felt his finger under her chin, turning her face towards his. Haku kissed her again, his hand moving to caress her cheek. His kiss was more tender, more sweet than she ever would have thought possible.

He broke away, resting his cheek on hers. He had so much to say. His mind filled with all that he wanted to express to her, but he heard himself say simply:

"I love you, too, Chihiro."

They lay entwined in each other's arms, and drifted off to sleep, both smiling even as slumber took them.


	21. Interruptions

Chihiro's eyes slid open dreamily. She reached out to embrace Haku, then realized that he wasn't there. She looked around, and sitting on the end of the pallet was breakfast, and a blue pile of cloth. She held up the cloth, and it turned out to be a traditional kimono. She stuck her head out the door to make sure Haku would not stumble in on her while she changed, then slipped it on. It fit well, and was very comfortable. She grabbed the food Haku had left for her, and munched as she went looking for him. She walked back to the main room. When she arrived, she gaped in renewed wonder. The ceiling had skylights drilled through to the outside of the mountain, and the sun shone in brightly, casting the room in it's warm glow. She stood in the warmth of the sunlight, raising her face to the bright rays. She remained still for a moment, then thought she heard something. Across the chamber was another passageway. She headed towards it. She heard it again: it sounded like a sharp crack, almost like a whip. Curious, she continued down towards the sound.

After a few twists and turns, she came to a large, pillared room. She cautiously peeked around the corner of the wall. It seemed to be some sort of training room. There were various targets set up around the perimeter, some pin cushioned with arrows, some with javelins sticking out, all looking to have suffered substantial abuse. She heard the cracking sound again, from inside the room, and moved to the pillar directly in front of the hallway. She slowly looked to the other side, and then she saw him. Haku stood poised for attack, inhumanly still, sweat dripping from his bare, chiseled back. Staff in hand, his eyes were closed, looking to be in complete concentration. Then, in a flurry of motion, he was dancing. Or at least that is what it looked like to Chihiro. His twirling staff was a blur. He leapt and kicked, thrusting out the staff in accordance with some higher rhythm that Chihiro couldn't perceive. Every action, every movement was measured. There was nothing extraneous, no distracting flourishes, just an easy economy of motion that clearly revealed his combat proficiency. Every now and again, he would strike the tip of the staff against the wooden floor, and the resounding crack would echo from the walls surrounding them. Chihiro stood mesmerized, unabashedly admiring his muscled chest and arms, his flat, defined stomach, watching his muscles bunch and extend as he effortlessly leapt through the air, until, with a final deadly-looking thrust of his staff, he seemed to conclude his training form.

He moved to replace the staff on a rack of weaponry on the far wall. He took a cloth and dried his torso, then retrieved his shirt from a peg. As he donned it, Chihiro could not halt her disappointed sigh. Haku froze, his head tilted towards Chihiro's hiding place. She stifled a giggle, then tip-toed to the hall. She made her way quietly, but quickly, until she was pretty sure he wouldn't hear, then she broke into a run. She sprinted to the main room and sat innocently on the edge of what looked like a dried-up fountain. She closed her eyes and angled her face to the sun as she waited.

Suddenly the fountain sprang to life beside her, water shooting up in graceful arches before falling back down to land in the large pool.

"Good morning."

She opened her eyes to see Haku eyeing her suspiciously.

"Good morning!" she said cheerily.

"What have you been up to today?" he asked, a smile playing on the edge of his lips.

"Oh, nothing much," she answered. 'Only watched a god working out' she amended silently.

"Hmm," he replied. "Did you get a chance to explore? See any of the shrine's more interesting sights?"

'I'll say,' she thought, but she replied, "No, not yet."

"Well, we will have to do that then."

Haku looked down at the ground by his feet, unsure of how to approach her this morning. After they spent the night in each other's arms, he thought it would be easier to be physically close to her, but he still worried about coming on too strong. As he stood there debating with himself, Chihiro answered his unspoken concerns. He found himself wrapped in her warm embrace. She lifted her face hopefully. He smiled at how easily she seemed control him as he obediently lowered his face to meet hers. They stood kissing in the warm sunlight, their embrace gradually growing more and more ardent. When they pulled away to catch their breath, Chihiro realized that Haku had pulled her off the ground again. She hadn't even noticed when her feet became airborne. He smiled at her as he gazed into her eyes, and she was reminded an earlier smile, his expression as they fell through the air after she remembered his true name. She grinned back at him.

"Eh-hem."

They both turned to the sound. Zeniba stood in the shrine entrance, obviously averting her eyes.

"Well, I see that you two are getting along just fine."

Chihiro blushed as Haku set her back down. Haku looked disparagingly at Zeniba.

"You know, you are _really_ going to need to cut that out," he huffed.

"I'll work on refining my timing," she replied, laughing heartily. "Well, come on you two, everyone is waiting." She turned and strode out of the shrine.

Haku and Chihiro looked at each other questioningly, then followed her outside.

Haku called out to Zeniba, "Where exactly are we going?"

"To the Council."

He froze, yanking Chihiro to a stop with him.

"What?!?"

Zeniba turned back to him, a sly look in her eyes. "Don't worry, I have it all figured out. No Face, Lin, and Kamaji are all there. We shouldn't keep them waiting."

Chihiro's face lit up at hearing the names of her friends. She raced to catch up to the waiting Zeniba. Haku, though still suspicious, trusted Zeniba enough to follow. When he reached the two women, Zeniba outstretched her hands. As soon as they both touched her hands, they appeared just outside the council chambers. Haku hesitated as Zeniba strode forward with Chihiro in tow.

"I hope you know what you are doing, Zeniba."

She turned to look at him, and winked, just as she had the when he had been summoned to the council before. He suddenly had the feeling that perhaps Zeniba was the _only_ one who knew what she was doing. He smiled, then confidently followed, ready for his fate to be decided.


	22. Solution

Their footsteps echoed off the chamber walls as they approached the waiting Council. Chihiro saw her friends waiting on a far wall, and almost rushed to greet them, but when she saw their serious expressions, she knew that the reunion would have to wait. Haku and Chihiro continued to the raised platform at the center of the Council, while Zeniba went to stand by the Master Councilman. Chihiro stood bravely, her head held high, even as some of the council members averted their faces and covered their noses at her human smell.

The Master Councilman stared down at Chihiro, as if trying to see what there was about her that could cause such a predicament. He glanced to Haku, then shook his head. "Let us begin," his voice echoed around them.

Zeniba stepped forward. "Honored Spirits," she began, addressing the Council, "you have all heard the story of this human, Chihiro, and her exploits here in our world. From Haku's first testimony, to my own, to those of the spirits directly involved with Chihiro during her time here," she gestured to No Face, Lin, and Kamaji, "you now see how much her time in this world affected her, as well as how she affected those around her."

"The point of which has yet to be revealed, Zeniba," a councilmember interrupted.

Zeniba smiled slightly at his obvious impatience. "Do not fret. All will soon become clear."

"Indeed. Please continue," said the Master Councilman, eyeing the outspoken councilmember reproachfully.

"When I first brought this issue to the attention of the Council, we all believed that this gravity Chihiro exudes was due to her spirit drawing together. However, when her spirit was again made whole, the pull increased, and seemed to intensify. Many of you wondered how a mere human could exhibit such spiritual prowess. At our last meeting, I had no answer for such an anomaly, but now I believe I have. I propose that this force is not due to her spirit alone, but many."

"How would that be possible?" asked a friendly-looking councilman.

"Here lies the purpose of the many testimonies of the spirits I brought before you earlier," Zeniba replied. "I believe that the relationships Chihiro established while in this world created bonds between herself and these spirits, bonds that remained unbreakable even as she cross back over and left her memories behind. These bonds are not the main cause of our problem, but they serve to assist the main issue."

"Well, that is an interesting theory, but it fails to explain this force, as it seems to originate between the girl and Kohaku."

Suddenly, Chihiro gasped, her eyes bright with abrupt understanding, as Zeniba continued.

"Therein lies the second reason for the testimonies. Each told their own version, but a common thread in each was the drastic effect Haku had on Chihiro, and how she affected him as well."

She paused, then turned to Chihiro, smiling.

"Chihiro, why don't you share your new theory?"

Chihiro glanced wide-eyed at Zeniba, who smiled encouragingly. She looked up to Haku, at the questions so plainly evidenced in his eyes, and then took a step forward.

"I know that I am just a human, and I don't pretend to have any great understanding of the ways of spirits, so please forgive my presumption. I was only thinking that, perhaps, this is not just about me," she began haltingly.

She looked down at her feet. "I know that I was yearning for something for the last eight years. We all assumed that it was the missing piece of my spirit that I longed for, causing this, this pull, or whatever it is that I am doing. But I can tell you that I never thought for a moment, even absent of my memories, that this emptiness inside me was solely about me." She turned to look at Haku. "Haku, I think that all that time, I wasn't drawing towards the piece of my spirit you kept. I was drawing towards you. _You_ are the missing piece of my spirit!"

The Council sat stunned as Zeniba smiled. Haku could not take his eyes from Chihiro's.

Zeniba spoke, as if to herself, "He saved her life in her world, she saved his life in his. Their spirits bound together, twining inseparably, even before they could understand their own feelings."

The Master Councilman spoke. "While this is enlightening, what does it mean? What must be done?"

Zeniba smiled. "She must stay."

At that Haku's head snapped up. "NO!" he shouted forcefully. The Council turned to look at him, somewhat confused.

Chihiro, her eyes betraying her hurt at his rejection, asked quietly, "You don't want me?"

Haku looked back down at her. "I won't take your life from you, Chihiro," he stated emphatically. "There has to be another way. I won't make you sacrifice the life you were supposed to live, trapped here forever, because of me."

Chihiro stood stunned for a moment while the room was draped in silence so thick it was tangible. Finally, she went to him, took his hands, and looked to his face, speaking quietly. "There is no sacrifice, Haku. The only life I want to have is a life with you. You _are_ my life."

They gazed at each other until the Master Councilman spoke again.

"Would the danger to our world cease if she remained here?" he asked Zeniba.

She nodded firmly.

"Well, there is still the matter of her human condition. Where will she live? Also, she must work, must contribute something to our world to live in it, and I doubt you two will want to go back to Yubaba any time soon," the Master Councilman continued.

"Um, I think I have that figured out too," Chihiro spoke timidly.

All eyes moved to her. She spoke a little more confidently. "I would like to be assigned to restore and care for the dragon shrine. I spent the past night there, and it has fallen into disrepair. I could live there." She looked to Haku.

The Master Councilman smiled, impressed. "That is actually a very valid solution. Very well. Kohaku's contract with Yubaba is hereby dissolved, as previously agreed. The human known as Chihiro will be assigned to the dragon shrine of the south. Upon tending her duties as draconic priestess, she will be granted full citizenship as a member of the spirit realm, along with all rights and privileges ascribed…"

"Yada, yada, blah, blah, welcome to the family, miss '_Draconic Priestess'_!" Lin interrupted enthusiastically, running up to the platform and hugging Chihiro tightly.

Suddenly Chihiro was surrounded by her friends, laughing at the amazing turn of events. Haku stood still, trying to let it all sink in. The Master Councilman smiled slightly, then banged his gavel on the podium before him. "The Council of Spirits is adjourned," he declared. The thirteen council members faded slowly, returning to their homes until their duty called again.

"Come on," Zeniba called, walking towards the exit.

The happy reunion moved outside. Kamaji congratulated Chihiro warmly, Lin blasted her with questions, and No Face just stood contently.

Haku, finally recovering from his shock, took Chihiro's hand and began to pull her away from the group. She looked at him questioningly. "We need to talk," he whispered in her ear, continuing to drag her off.

"Keep your pants on, Haku," Lin teased. "I'm sure she will be more than happy to take them off of you later."

Chihiro blushed and glared at Lin, but continued to walk with Haku until they were standing twenty feet or so from the rest. She was confused, but still incredibly happy. She looked up at Haku while he took her hands. They gazed at each other, and Chihiro was suddenly conscious of everyone's eyes on them.

Haku took a deep breath.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" he asked. His heart thumped as he gave her the chance to deny him, to break his heart, but he could not force her to choose him over a life of her own. "After all, the love of a dragon is a dangerous thing."

Chihiro examined his face for a moment. She took a breath as if she was going to reply, then leapt on him, kissing him with such fiery passion that it even made Lin blush and turn away.

When Chihiro pulled back, a very dazed Haku was gaping at her.

She smiled with one side of her mouth, looking up at him with her head tilted coyly, and said in her most innocent voice, "I think I can handle it."


End file.
